Attachment for toothpick-machines.



CHARLES F. SCAMMAN,

OF PORTLAND, llIAINE.

AITACHM ENT FDR TOOTH PlCKmIVlACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming-Apart of Letters Patent No. 670,971, dated April 2, 1901.

Application lilerl January 21, 1901- Serial No. 43,9 81. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom t may concern:

Beitknown that I, CHARLES F. SCAMMAN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Portland, Cumberland county, State of Maine, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Toothpick-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to means for removing and drying toothpicks from the machines wherein they are formed.

The toothpiclft-machines to which the present invention particularly applies belong to that class wherein the picks are cut in succession from a strip of veneer having the same width as the lengths of the picks. In these machines the strips are fed over two stationary knives with their cutting edges uppermost and having a space between them which is the exact size of the picks. A cutting-block reciprocates vertically on top of the knives and forces the picks down between them.

My present invention is designed as an improvement or modification of the mechanism shown in my Patent No. 521,736, dated June 19, 1894. In that patent the picks drop or are enforced down into a long vertical spout which is constructed so that it elongates at the bottom as the picks feed in at the top, so that the spout is kept full at all times and the picks lie evenly in the spout in a horizontal position.

In my present device as I prefer to construct it the picks are dropped into a substantially straight non-extensible spout tapering at the upper end andfall upon a horizontally-nioving belt upon which they are carried through a horizontal spout, being there subjected to a current of hot air for the purpose of drying them.

I illustrate my invention by means of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a general vertical section, and Fig. 2 shows a section on the line wm of Fig. l.

A represents the cutting-block, and B the knives, oi' the toothpick-machine, it being understood that the cutting-block A reciprocates vertically and forces the toothpicks as fast as they are cut downward between the two knives I3. The picks fall from the knives into the spout C, the upper end of which is tapered or contracted. The spout is vertically disposed and as here shown it is comparatively short and substantially straight, extending but a short distance below the bed Ct of the machine.

Immediately below the open end of the spout C is a horizontal receiving-surface forming the lower end of the spout. As here shown, this receiving-surface is colnposed of an endless belt K, which runs over two pulleys 7o and extends indefinitely in a horizontal direction.

For the purpose of removing the picks from the lower end of the spout C one of the vertical sides of said spout terminates at or immediately above the upper surface of the belt K, the opposite sides terminating a considerable distance above said belt-,forming a recess or opening, through which the picks iiow out laterally from the lower end of the spout. If the receiving-surface or lower end of the spout is stationary, the picks as they are forced in at the top of the spout will overflow through the opening at the lower end and may be removed in bunches by hand.

When the apparatus is running normally, the spout C is intended to be kept entirely full of picks, so that as they pass down between the knives B they will simply crowd downward the picks with which they come in Contact, and in this way they are all kept parallel with each other, as they are given no op portunity to get out of line.

When an endless belt is used, as herein shown, for carrying the picks off from the bottom of the spout in a horizontal layer, it is necessary or desirable to automatically stop the belt when the pick-machines are not forming picks, for the reason that if any considerable space is left at the top of the spout, so that the picks fall through the air in dropping from the knives, they will become crossed and will disarrange the operation of the whole device.

For the purpose of controlling the movement of the belt K, I show herein an electric stop-motion, which is substantially the same as that patented to myself and Henry P. Churchill June I9, 189e, by Letters Patent No. 521,735, except that instead of being ap-` plied to control the motion of an extensible spout it is here applied to controlling the m0- IOO tion of a horizontal belt. d represents a pivoted arm, which swings' into the upper end of the spout through a slot c. When this arm swings to its outward position, into which it is forced by the weight of the column of picks in the spout, it forms an electrical contact with a plate d and completes a battery-circuit, passing through the wire e', electromagnet f, the wire e, and the metallic surface of the spout. When this circuit is complete, the armature g is drawn down and the pawl t' is lifted by the link h into engagement with the ratchet-wheel t. t" represents the slide, 'l2 the connecting-rod, j' the crank-arm for operating the slide, and j the guide on which the slide runs, the operation of these parts being substantially as shown in said patent.

The ratchet-wheel 't is secured on shaft and on the lower end of the shaft is a worm t2, engaging with a worm-gear 153 on the same shaft with the pulley l.

It will be seen that when the spout C is full of picks the arm d is pressed outward, completing the circuit and moving the belt K forward. When the production of picks stops and they settle below the arm d, the latter swings in, breaks the circuit, and stops the movement of the belt.

The position of the arm d in the machine as actually made is relatively much nearer the knives therein than herein shown, and the space which is left empty at the top of the spout before the stop-motion comes into 0peration is relatively much smaller, so that the picks have but-a short distance to drop and are not likely to get out of posit-ion to any extent. This stop-motion not only stops the feed of the belt when the production of the pick-machine ceases, but it also stops the belt when the latter is moving faster than the production of the machine.

Means are herein shown for drying the picks as they come out upon the lower end of the spout. For this purpose I provide a second endless belt L, parallel with the lirst beltK and above it and passing over pulleys l. rlhis belt is so located that it rests on the top of the horizontal layer of picks which come off on the belt K. The two belts K and L are given exactly the same rate of speed by means of suitable connecting-gears. (Shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1.)' For the purpose of drying the picks the two belts through an elongated box M, having sides of wirefnettingfm, through which a current of hot air is passed by means of ducts N, (shown clearly in Fig. 2,) these ducts being connected with suitable blowing and heating apparatus. It will be seen that the two belts form the bottom and top of a horizontal spout of which the sides are composed of the wire-netting or other suitable pervious material. At the ends of the belts, which extend far enough so that the picks are thoroughly dry when they reach the creer/1 ends, they overflow onto a table c, from which they are removed by hand.

While I have shown the spout C operating in connection with a moving belt or bed, it is evident that it can be used in connection with a fixed table or receiving-surface and without the use of a stop-motion.

I claiml. In a toothpick-machine of the class described, the combination with the cuttingknives, of a substantially straight vertical spout into which the picks drop laterally, said spout having a tapering` upper end, a horizontal receiving-surface immediately below the lower end of said spout, one side of said spout coming substantially down to said surface and the opposite side terminating above said su rface to allow the picks, to pass out.

2. In a toothpick-'machine of the class described, the combination with the cuttingknives, of a substantially straight vertical spout into which the picks drop laterally, having a tapering upper end, a horizontally-moving belt immediately below the lower end of said spout for receiving and carrying oi' the picks, one side of said spout coming substantially down to the belt and the opposite side terminating above the belt to allow the picks to pass under.

3. In a toothpick-machine of the class described, the combination with the cuttingknives, of a substantially straight vertical spout into which the picks drop laterally, having a tapering upper end, a horizon tally-moving belt immediately below the lower end of said spout for receiving and carrying off the picks, an arm projecting normally into the upper end of the spout, and adapted to be pressed ou tward by the column of picks, means for imparting motion to said belt and a stop mechanism operated by the moving in and out of said arm for controlling the movement of the belt.

4. In a toothpick-machine of the class de- Ioo scribed, the combination with the cuttingknives of a vertical spout into which the picks drop laterally having a tapering upper end, a horizontally-moving belt immediately below the lower end of said spout for receiving and carrying off the picks in a horizontal layer, pervious guides at the sides of said belt forming the sides of a horizontal spout of which the said belt is the bottom an endless retaining-belt forming the top ot' said spout and adapt-ed to rest on the layer of picks and means foiforcing air through said spout from onc side to the other to dry the picks.

Signed at Portland, Maine, this 14th day ofi January, 1901.

CHARLES F. SCAMMAN.

WVitnesses:

S. W. BATES, W. M. CLEMENT.

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